Challenges to the West. Civilizational Theory, Imperialism, and Liberal Internationalism

suggested some political trends in the future. The starting point for the following account is the transformation of the concept of civilization, which was already used in historiographical and philosophical discourse at the beginning of the Twentieth Century as a tool for providing a meaningful picture of universal history and, at the same time, of contemporary political events. This theme will be considered from the perspective of intellectual history and the history of political thought, examining Toynbee’s milieu and relations as a context for the interpretation of his work